I rarely create posts solely on my personal thoughts, or use this blog as a place to vent.

Well today, my friends, is different.

I have to be careful with my words because I certainly don’t want to come across as condescending or arrogant — that is NOT my intention, so I apologize in advance if you get that vibe.

However, I really need to get something off my chest regarding the emails I receive from lazy people. This topic has caused me to do a lot of thinking lately. (Yes, the picture above is me… thinking).

First of all, let me just state that I absolutely LOVE helping people.  In fact, it’s a big reason why I’m able to make a comfortable living online to this day.

I enjoy giving advice to people who are making a valiant effort at affiliate marketing and creating a website or blog.  I can relate to what you’re going through because I have been there before.

I am a firm believer in paying it forward, and I know for certain if you go out of your way to help others, it will come back to you tenfold.  My income is a great example of that.

Here Comes “The But”

What I don’t like or respect is people who expect to get something out here for nothing.  And when I say nothing, I’m not necessarily talking about money.  I’m talking about hard work, dedication, and taking the time to L-E-A-R-N.

So what sparked this blog post, you ask?

I received an email from a gentleman who claimed he wanted to make a full-time living online with a website, but wanted me to suggest the fastest method that would allow him to do as little work as possible (especially when it comes to creating his website.) According to him, he just didn’t have time to sit and learn how to build a website.

Yes.  Those were his exact words.  I am not paraphrasing.

Do you see anything wrong with that question? Since when does making a full-time living online and doing as little work as possible go together? 

As if to suggest there is a way to make a lot of money online without doing much. It’s that ridiculous get-rich-quick mentality that plagues the Web.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.  Of course there are ways to make money online without building your own website.  There’s PPC marketing with affiliate programs, MLM companies that provide you with a website, and the list continues.

Although I should add that even if you do take those routes, you STILL have to work hard at promoting your business.

However, I didn’t get the feeling that this guy was asking about such methods.  I hate to say it, but he just seemed flat out lazy to me.

And I probably wouldn’t have blogged about this email if this was the first or second one I’ve received.  I receive multiple emails like this on a consistent basis.

It truly baffles me.

The Facts

Let me make one thing very clear.  When I started this 10 years ago, I never had one single web design or programming class.  I had never created a website before, had no mentor/consultant, and no formal training in marketing or writing.

The only Internet skills I had were browsing and sending email.

And because of my novice status,  I made a lot of mistakes.  Tons of them.  Several of my sites failed.  My income went up and down like a yo-yo the first few years, and sometimes I even doubted that I was ever going to earn enough to comfortably quit my 9 to 5.

I was no coding/programming genius (nor did I have a real interest in becoming one) and would often get frustrated when I couldn’t figure out something.

There were weeks where I would spend 20 to 30 hours on my websites in addition to the 40 hours a week I put in at my full-time job.  That meant a lot of weekend work and late, late nights… even during the weekdays.

But I knew, if I wanted to be my own boss and have a successful business, I was going to have to get out of my comfort zone, work hard and continue to learn new things.

To this day, I STILL don’t care much for coding, but took the time to learn enough to develop a presentable website.  So for those of you assuming you cannot succeed because you have no background in computers or web design, let me be your example and say…

You CAN do this, but you have to sacrifice SOMEthing.  And if you aren’t willing to put in hard work, learn something new, get out of your comfort zone and invest the time, then this might not be for you.

And let me say that I truly understand the not-enough-time issue.  Many people simply don’t have the time they’d like to devote to this.  But I will say, if you are committed to making this work and really enjoy the ride, you always find the time.

Lisa’s disclaimer: I’m not by any means suggesting people who don’t have time are lazy.  This is a separate point. I brought it up because I know the time involvement is a big issue for a lot of you.

To Sum it Up…

I’ll say it again…

I LOVE helping people, especially when I see they are trying very hard to learn.  But I have no respect or tolerance for people looking to get something for nothing.  It’s not the way the business world works whether you’re online or off.

OK, I’ll get off my soapbox now.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Usually, they promise lucrative profits if you promote a pre-created, turnkey website and get other people to join the program and/or buy certain products.

YTB.com and SixFigureIncome.com are two programs that come to mind, but there are many more.

One major flaw with these programs is they don’t tell you that in order to make money you are going to have to drive thousands of targeted visitors to your site per day.

Not an easy task for someone who has never marketed anything online before.

Also, it’s difficult to convince total strangers to pay their money for a program that does not guarantee a return on their investment.

People are incredibly skeptical about programs that ask for upfront money in order to make money (and they should be), so immediately the cards are stacked against you.

Just because the company has provided you with your own turnkey website, that doesn’t mean you are any closer to striking gold. In fact, they are leading you into a false sense of hope and security.

Here are more reasons to avoid the “Make Money Online” niche…

How can you expect people to trust you if you aren’t making money yourself?

People who make a lot of money online have spent years building credibility from an audience who trusts them.

They do that by providing useful advice that actually helps their audience. Over time, they develop large mailing lists, faithful blog subscribers and/or loyal website visitors.

When you do this, it’s much easier to make money online because when you recommend a product or service, that credibility you’ve earned now works in your favor.

Your audience trusts you and they are more likely to buy something you recommend.

People often believe that the best way to make money online is to join a program that teaches others how to make money. When that’s probably one of the worst niches (unless you are really making a lot yourself and you can help others succeed.)

The reality is, you begin living a lie. You’re encouraging people to fork over money for a chance at making money when you don’t fully believe or know how to master this program yourself.

So you end up recruiting more people who recruit more people who recruit more people on the hopes of getting rich someday.

The replicated, turnkey website you receive does you no favors.

The problem with those pre-created websites that you receive is they are not unique.

Search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. are now smart enough to realize it’s just a duplicate of the other 180,000+ member sites in the program.

So reeling in all that free, targeted traffic like Webmasters who have their own domains with unique content will be next to impossible.

The money making niche is too saturated.

Type make money in Google and look at the total number of results on the top right-hand side. That number right there should be enough to scare you away.

The topic is saturated to no end so getting found, even if you had your own domain name, is a very tall task.

It can’t be any fun.

How boring it must be to promote a program on how to make money when your income is $0. Suddenly this is turning into a discouraging task with no reward.

People who are successful online enjoy themselves. They know a lot about their niche and it’s evident by reading their sites that they know what they’re talking about.

Their sites have personality and appear to have a real person behind them who is engaged in the topic.

Compare that to your anonymous, money making site, with its impersonal, over-hyped content written by the creator of the company (who, by the way, is the real beneficiary of programs like this.)

One of the joys of owning 2CreateAWebSite.com is when I learn how to do something new, I write content to help my audience learn too. Knowing I am helping thousands of people all over the world is quite fulfilling.

It’s also clear to my audience I am living what I write about so it helps build credibility.

Your income often depends on the success of others

One of the traps with these programs is the multi-level or tiered factor. If you sign up people who then sign up people who then sign up even more people, etc. multiplies your income.

Sounds great right?

The problem is 99.99% of people who join these programs never sign up a single soul. So don’t get too comfortable, expecting your downline to make you rich because chances are, they are running into the same roadblocks as you.

There Are Always Exceptions

I don’t want to imply that no one ever makes money from these kinds of programs. A few people do, but they are the exception more than the rule.

Some people are extremely marketing savvy and/or have the initial income to advertise and compete. So of course there are always going to be those select few who do well.

But you should still proceed with caution. Often times companies add fake testimonials to make it look as if there are more successful people than there really are.

Isn’t it funny that no one ever knows any of these people personally? And if that many people are making so much money, why aren’t they featured on the national news more?

Who are those people smiling on the site with the six-figure income totals under their pictures?

And why don’t they ever provide an email address so you can contact them and ask questions?

Hmmmmm……

The Bottom Line

If you want to increase your chance of success online, choose a topic that interests you and build a useful website on that.

Go to www.associateprograms.com and find affiliate programs that match your subject-matter.

While you’re there, subscribe to Allan’s free newsletter and read his archives. There are some very encouraging stories and great lessons.

You don’t have to promote “how to make money” programs to make money online. You could create a site on cooking and recommend kitchen gadgets and other products related to your topic.

Yes, that means there is work involved and you probably are going to have to learn how to build and manage your own website. Making money takes work, and there’s no way around that, I promise.

- If you’re allergic to the concept of work, this is not for you.

- If you need money immediately, this is not for you.

- If you are constantly looking for shortcuts to success, this is not for you.

- If you cannot accept the fact it may take months before you see any money, this is not for you.

Are You Incredibly Desperate For Money?

I often get emails from people who are in desperate need of an income. The problem with many of these people is they are so hungry for instant gratification, they want to somehow bypass the learning and work involved.

When you are so focused on how long it will take to make money, then it’s nearly impossible for you to remain patient and enjoy the learning process.

Even though money is your ultimate destination, you must enjoy the ride. So you might as well choose a niche you enjoy and allows you to appear credible.

It’s THE age-old question heard around the Net…

“How long does it take before I start making money with my website?”

It’s a question that’s very difficult to answer and one I’m usually very careful about addressing.

The Internet is flooded with products and websites that make ridiculous claims about getting rich quickly, and if you’re not cautious… you could get sucked in. I know many people who have.

I cannot emphasize enough that making money no matter whether you’re online or offline is work.

The Internet is glamorous. There are countless stories of people like myself who are earning a living online. And to some, this “Web thing” appears to be a quick and easy way to escape a humdrum or stressful 9 to 5 job.

You read the stories all the time, but you rarely hear about the work that actually went into making these successful sites.

While I’ve had a ball out here the last 9 years, I’ve definitely done my time and worked very hard. Anyone who is making good money out here will tell you the same.

Now, back to the “How long before I succeed?” question. There is not one answer to this question. It depends on your dedication, work ethic, and enjoyment.

Yes, I said enjoyment.

That’s another factor that’s often left out of these success stories. If it’s not fun for you, it will feel like a job.

Then you’re in trouble.

One thing I can say is that I have enjoyed every step of this journey. I continue to learn new things almost everyday and I truly love helping people. So the enjoyment didn’t come because of the money. The money came because I enjoy what I’m doing.

People who attach a timer to their success often begin this journey with the wrong focus. After all, there is no right answer to the “how long” question.

Some people take a few months, others take years. But when you are doing what you love… that success clock stops ticking, and the money will naturally come over time. I promise.

Here’s a great thread from my forum that does a great job of addressing the age-old question.